Process for molding laminated candy and resultant products thereof

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to methods of molding edible laminated structures that have at least one first fluid material of a sticky or flowable mass interleaved between thin layers of a second fluid material, wherein neither of the first fluid material nor the second fluid material is a hard candy mass.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of copendingApplication Ser. No. 09/712,265 filed Nov. 15, 2000, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by referencethereto.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to methods of molding candyproducts having a laminated structure with a desired texture and theresultant candy products having a sticky or flowable mass therein.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] In view of the large amount of candy consumed by consumers, thereis always an interest in providing new, different, and unusual candies.A popular type of candy is laminated candy products. These candyproducts consist of many layers of alternating materials. The texture ofthe candy product is a result of the laminated structure and thematerials used to form the laminated structure. Typically, laminatedcandy products consist of layers of hard candy and a fatty paste orfluid such as peanut butter, which is then coated with chocolate orother coating. A candy product with a laminated structure of hard candyand a fatty paste or fluid generally has a crunchy texture.

[0004] The conventional process for producing a laminated product ofhard candy and a fatty paste or fluid product involves heating candysyrup in a precooker to form a candy mass and boiling the resultingcandy mass to produce a viscous material having a low moisture content.Typically, the moisture content is about 4-5%. The resulting boiledcandy mass is discharged from the cooker and passed through an aerationscrew to aerate the candy mass. The aerated candy mass is then placed ona steel tempering band which cools the candy mass to a specifiedtemperature such that the candy mass remains pliable. The aerated candymass is then sheeted and the candy sheet is coated with a layer of fattypaste. The layer of fatty paste and aerated candy may be sprinkled withrework prepared from reusable products from previous candy bar formingoperations. Alternatively, the candy sheet can be sprinkled with reworkbefore it is coated with the fatty paste or the candy sheet can becoated with a mixture of fatty paste and rework. The layer of candy massand fatty paste is then rolled onto itself to give a thicker candy masswith more layers. The plastic mass is then sheeted and cut intoindividual bars. The whole system is continuous. The resulting candy barcenters can be coated with chocolate or other coatings to produce thefinal candy product. An example of this process is disclosed in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,679,496, 4,778,685 and 4,858,524. Due to the rolling, it isonly possible to prepare laminated candy products wherein one of thematerials is a hard candy. If one of the materials is not a hard candymass the two materials would simply flow together when they are rolledand a laminated structure would not be obtained.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,879 discloses a multi-layered chewing gum gelcream confection. The multi-layered chewing gum comprises at least twoseparate layers of a chewing gum composition and at least one layer of ahydrophilic confectionery gel creme sandwiched between the at least twoseparate layers of a chewing gum composition.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,937 discloses a chewable, peelable nougatcandy comprising at least two layers of nougat wherein each layer ofnougat is separable from the adjacent nougat layer by the interpositionof a compound coating.

[0007] UK Patent Application No. 2 283 699 discloses a method ofcoextruding multi-layered food products. The food products may be jam,truffle, fondant, caramel, toffee, blancmange, marshmallow, aeratedchocolate, batter, fat creams, pumpable pastes, and pumpable sauces. Thefood products are coextruded through different channels arranged side byside one after the other to define a column of channels.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,028 discloses a composite frozen confectioncomprising a multiplicity of superimposed extruded layers of extrudableconfectionery material. Thin layers of a second confectionery materialsuch as a fat based confection material are interleaved between layersof a frozen aerated confectionery such as ice cream.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,635 discloses an apparatus for makingmulti-layered folded pastries.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,234 discloses a crispy multi-layered cookieor sandwich like product wherein intermediate filler material may beused between the outer crispy or cookie layers without degradation ofthe crispiness of the outer layers.

[0011] Canadian Pat. Application No. 2,187,940 discloses a multilayerdessert comprising at least one heat treated component of mousse, creme,jelly, and/or sauce that is coated with a continuous sterilized layer offat coating or chocolate.

[0012] There is a need, however, for new laminated candy products thathave unique texture and mouth feel and provide a unique eatingsensation. In particular, it is desired to be able to prepare alaminated candy product having a flowable or sticky mass therein,particularly one that has a reduced or eliminated tendency to stick toits packaging.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The invention relates to a method of producing a laminated edibleproduct comprising depositing in each of a plurality of molds a firstplurality of layers of at least one first fluid material interleavedbetween a second plurality of layers of a second fluid material thatflows at one temperature but solidifies at a lower temperature; andcoating a portion of the first and second plurality of layers in eachmold with an edible material to form the laminated edible product.

[0014] One of the beneficial features of the invention is that neitherthe first fluid material nor the second fluid material of the laminatededible product is a hard candy mass. Preferably, at least one of thefirst fluid material and the second fluid material has a moisturecontent of greater than about 7 percent by weight. The second fluidmaterial advantageously comprises a fat-based confectionery material,sugar based confectionery paste, or both.

[0015] If desired, the edible material can be the second fluid material.In this embodiment, the second fluid material can be chocolate, acompound coating, or both. Thus, when the edible material is at leastone chocolate, it can be arranged so that it completely surrounds andencapsulates the first fluid material, thus preventing the first fluidmaterial from coming in contact with the packaging material for theproduct. This enables the first fluid material to be a relatively stickymaterial such as jelly, and yet the product will not stick to a wrapperunder ambient conditions. This is facilitated by selecting the secondfluid material to be one that solidifies at a temperature of about 30°C.

[0016] Another embodiment of the invention relates to a laminated edibleproduct comprising a plurality of strips layered upon each other,wherein each strip comprises at least one first fluid materialcomprising a sticky or flowable mass having a moisture content of atleast about 7 weight percent; and at least two layers of a second,different fluid material which completely surrounds and encases thefirst fluid material, wherein the first fluid material is interleavedbetween the at least two layers of the second fluid, which second fluidflows at one temperature but solidifies at a lower temperature. Again,the invention is designed so that it can include a wide variety ofconfectionery materials, but where neither the first fluid material northe second fluid material is a hard candy mass.

[0017] The sticky or flowable mass can be any one of jelly, caramel,fondant, paste, liquid, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment,this mass has a low viscosity, i.e., a greater moisture content or areduced solids content. The jelly is preferably a pectin-based jelly.Also, at least one of the first or second fluid materials comprises oneor more inclusions. Typical inclusions comprise cereals, grains, nuts,fruit pieces, jelly pieces, wafer, cookie, biscuit, candy, orcombinations thereof, and they have a preferred size of about 0.02inches to 0.25 inches.

[0018] Also, the first and second layers in the product can besuperimposed upon each other or may disposed at any angle relative toeach other to provide designs in the final product. These strips mayhave a thickness of about {fraction (1/100)} inch to ⅛ inch, andadvantageously, about 2 to 500 strips are superimposed to form theproduct and the moisture content is greater than about 8 weight percent.The layer of superimposed strips preferably has an overall thickness ofabout 0.01 to 4 inches.

[0019] An advantageous embodiment of the laminated edible product of theinvention comprises a plurality of strips layered upon each other,wherein each strip comprises at least one first fluid materialcomprising a sticky or flowable mass having a Brix content of less thanabout 83 percent; and at least two layers of a second, different fluidmaterial which completely surrounds and encases the first fluidmaterial,. The first fluid material is interleaved between the at leasttwo layers of the second fluid, which second fluid flows at onetemperature but solidifies at a lower temperature. As above, neither thefirst fluid material nor the second fluid material is a hard candy mass.Preferably, the Brix content is less than about 78 percent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The present invention relates to a laminated edible productincluding a plurality of strips layered upon each other, wherein eachstrip comprises at least one first fluid material interleaved between atleast two layers of a second, different fluid material which completelysurrounds the first fluid material, wherein the second fluid materialflows at one temperature but solidifies at a lower temperature andneither the first fluid material nor the second fluid material is a hardcandy mass. In one embodiment, at least some of the strips comprise asingle first fluid material encased within a second fluid material. Thefirst fluid material in the strip may have a variable thickness. Thelaminated edible product includes many thin layers of alternatingmaterials, wherein neither material is a hard candy mass. The strips maybe layered upon each other at an angle to form the edible product.

[0021] One drawback to mass lamination is that the paste must set upfairly promptly after formation or it will flow out of the layers andproduce a more messy appearing product or one that has less of the pastethan desired. It has now been discovered that when the laminated productis molded it can advantageously include a first material, such as thepaste, having significantly lower viscosity because the coating orsecond material contains the first material within the mold until theproduct is set properly.

[0022] By “strip” is meant one or more fluid materials that aresimultaneously discharged from a coaxial die to form a product streamwherein one or more first fluid materials is encased between a secondfluid material. Preferably, the one or more first fluid materials iscompletely surrounded by the second fluid material. The second fluidmaterial completely surrounding the first fluid material(s) isaccomplished by using a coaxial die with two or more concentric ovalshaped exit ports, wherein the inner exit ports discharge the one ormore first fluid material(s) and the outer exit port discharges thesecond fluid material. By having the second fluid material completelysurround the first fluid material advantageously improves the integrityof the laminated structure by reducing the ability of the first fluidmaterial to ooze or flow out of the laminated structure. Indeed, byhaving the second fluid material completely surround the first fluidmaterial it is possible to make laminated structures with materials thatpreviously could not be combined to form a laminated structure.

[0023] In the laminated edible product of the invention the first fluidmaterial and the second fluid are either a fat based confectionerycoating or a sugar based confectionery paste. Preferably, the firstfluid material and the second fluid material are different. Morepreferably, the first and second fluid material are visually ortexturally distinguishable, or both.

[0024] The second fluid material can be a fluid at one temperature and asolid at a lower temperature. In this embodiment, the second fluidmaterial is a solid at temperatures of less than about 30° C. In thelaminated edible products, the laminated structure is maintained in thefinal product preferably without having to refrigerate the finalproduct.

[0025] Furthermore, it is typically unnecessary to form the laminatedstructure in a cup or other container or to keep the final laminatedproduct in a cup or other container to maintain the laminated shape.Preferably, the layers of the laminated structure are not separable.

[0026] By Afat based confectionery “coating” is meant a chocolate or acompound coating.

[0027] The term “chocolate” as used herein means any confectioneryproduct having qualities sufficient to impart chocolate taste andcharacter. Suitable chocolates include, but are not limited to, sweetchocolate, milk chocolate, buttermilk chocolate, bittersweet chocolateand chocolates as defined in 21 C.F.R.

163. Chocolate also includes other materials, such as compound coatings,that have a chocolate flavor and perform as a chocolate analogue or achocolate substitute.

[0028] The term Acompound “coating” as used herein means anyconfectionery product based on vegetable fat. In addition to vegetablefat the confectionery coatings typically contain sugar; flavorings suchas cocoa solids, peanut solids, and other natural or artificial flavors;emulsifiers; coloring agents; and optionally milk solids. As notedabove, some compound coatings closely resemble true chocolate, dark ormilk. Other compound coatings, made from cocoa powder, non-fat milkpowder, sugar, and one of the many vegetable fats, may have anappearance resembling dark or milk chocolate, but a texture that isquite different. Compound coatings also include pastel coatings, whichhave no cocoa powder and have added colors and flavors. The compoundcoating can have a variety of flavors including, but not limited to,maple, chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, and butterscotch.

[0029] By “sugar based confectionery paste” is meant a sugar based candythat has a higher moisture content than a hard candy. Typically, themoisture content of a sugar based confectionery is more than about 7percent, preferably more than about 10 percent. Sugar basedconfectionery pastes do not include cookies and cakes.

[0030] By “hard candy mass” is meant any hard candy product having amoisture content of about 3 to 5 percent by weight and which is producedby methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0031] Several examples of materials that can be combined to provide alaminated structure are provided below. In one embodiment the first(second) fluid material is a chocolate or compound coating and thesecond (first) fluid material is a jelly, nougat, fondant, nut paste,coconut paste, chocolate paste, fat cream or melt-away, caramel, fudge,flour based paste, cookie dough substitute, marshmallow, or a liquid.Preferably, the second fluid material is a chocolate or compoundcoating. For example, the first and second fluid materials canrespectively include white chocolate or coating and jelly, such asraspberry or strawberry.

[0032] The term “jelly” as used herein means a sugar and starch basedcomposition having a gummy texture. Typically jellies include pectin. Arepresentative jelly recipe is to combine about 35.5 parts water, about1.65 parts pectin, about 48.5 parts sugar, about 29.5 parts glucosesyrup, about 0.75 parts 50% citric acid solution, and coloring andflavoring and then to boil the resulting mixture until a final solidscontent of about 75 percent is obtained.

[0033] The term “fondant” as used herein means a composition based onsugar, glucose syrup, and possibly invert sugar that has a creamytexture. A representative fondant recipe is to combine about 8 lbssugar, about 2.2 lbs glucose syrup, and about 2.8 lbs water to provide amixture and to then cook the mixture at about 240 to 250 EC., preferablyabout 248 EC. to a solids content of about 80 to 90 percent, preferablyabout 88 percent.

[0034] The term “nougat” as used herein is a composition, similar to afondant in that it is based on sugar, but further comprises whipped eggsfor a lighter texture, the mixture being whipped to a frappe. Arepresentative nougat recipe is to dissolve about 0.25 lbs egg albumenin about 31 lbs water and add about 51 lbs icing sugar to provide amixture and beat the mixture at high speed with a wire whisk to providea whip. Separately, about 13 lbs sugar is dissolved in about 41 lbs ofwater followed by about 20 lbs of glucose syrup and the mixture boiledat about 260 EC. to provide a syrup. The syrup is then added in thinstreams to the whip with continuous whipping at low speed with a flatbeater. Optionally, one or more of cocoa powder (about 2 lbs), maltpowder (about 2 lbs), nonfat milk powder (about 1.5 lbs), or icing sugar(about 1.5 lbs) may be added and gradually stirred into the mixture ofwhip and syrup. Fat (about 11 lbs) is then melted at low temperature andadded to the mixture with slow mixing for the minimum amount of timeneeded to disperse the fat. The resulting mixture can then be pumpedwhile hot and cooled as part of the laminated mass.

[0035] The term “nut paste” as used herein means ground or chopped nutsthat are made into a paste. Any type of nuts may be used including, butnot limited to, almonds (marzipan), pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, andpeanuts.

[0036] The term “coconut paste” as used herein means a cream made ofeither toasted or fresh coconut.

[0037] The term “fat cream” or “melt-away” as used herein means a fatbased cream. The term “cream” as used herein means a base for a fondantcomprised of sugar, glucose, and invert sugar. Adding fat to the baseprovides a “fat cream”. Typically, the fat content of the fat cream ormelt-away is from about 15 to 35 percent, preferably from about 20 to 30percent, and more preferably from about 24 to 27 percent. Optionally,colors and flavors may be added to the fat cream.

[0038] The term “caramel” as used herein means a caramelized sugaroptionally containing milk and/or butter to provide a soft, medium, orhard texture. A representative caramel recipe is to combine about 6.5lbs water, about 10 lbs white granulated sugar, about 10 lbs brownsugar, about 17 lbs glucose, about 18 lbs full fattened sweetenedcondensed milk, about 8 lbs hardened vegetable fat, about 8 oz glycerylmonostearate, and about 5 oz salt to provide a mixture and to then boilthe mixture to the desired moisture content to provide a soft, medium,or hard caramel. A soft caramel is typically prepared by cooking at atemperature of about 245 to 2481 F. to a water content of about 9 to 10percent. A medium caramel is typically prepared by cooking at atemperature of about 250 to 2551 F to a water content of about 7 to 8percent. A hard caramel is typically prepared by cooking at atemperature of about 262 to 2671 F. to a water content of about 5 to 6percent.

[0039] The term “fudge” as used herein means a caramel with the sugarbeing in the crystalline state and having a grainy and short texture.The recipe for a fudge is the same as the recipe for a caramel exceptthat a fondant is added to the caramel to seed and initiate acrystallization process. Crystallization can also be initiated byagitation of the caramel while cooling. Crystallization involves theformation of sugar crystals during cooling, which can be regulated andcontrolled to obtain the desired size of crystals and is important indetermining the textural characteristic of the final fudge product. Theflavor and texture of the fudge are determined by the degree of boilingof the original caramel base and the amount of the fondant added to thegrain the mass.

[0040] The term “liquid” as used herein can be any type of flowableliquid such as a cordial or fruit juice.

[0041] The term “flour based paste” as used herein means a paste,comprised of flour, sugar, oil, and water. Any type of flour can be usedincluding, but not limited to, wheat, oat, rice, and soy flour. Any typeof oil can be used including, but not limited to, coconut oil, peanutoil, vegetable oil, and coconut oil.

[0042] The term “cookie dough substitute” as used herein means a shelfstable, dairy free, egg free dough that resembles a regular cookiedough, but does not have to be refrigerated or baked. The term “shelfstable” as used herein means the product does not require anyrefrigeration and can be stored at room temperature with substantiallyno spoilage or microbiological growth.

[0043] Preferably, the first and second fluid materials do not includeflour. When the first or second fluid material does contain flour,however, the product does not require cooking before being eaten and isshelf stable. Thus, the products of the invention are completelydifferent from flour based confectionery products such as doughcontaining products that require cooking and are not shelf stable.Furthermore, the products of the invention are unlike dough containingproducts as they do not include flour in combination with eggs.

[0044] The term “marshmallow” as used herein is a sugar based, eggwhipped, aerated confection well known to those of ordinary skill in theart.

[0045] Recipes for preparing a jelly, nougat, fondant, nut paste,coconut paste, chocolate paste, fat cream or melt-away, caramel, fudge,flour based paste, cookie dough substitute, marshmallow, or a liquid arewell known to those of ordinary skill in the art and need not be furtherdescribed herein (See, e.g., “Chocolate, Cocoa, and ConfectioneryScience and Technology,” 3^(rd) ed., Bernard W. Minifie, AspenPublishing (1999)).

[0046] The first or second fluid material may also include one or moreflavorings or colorings. Any flavoring or coloring can be used. Theflavoring or coloring can be natural or artificial. One or ordinaryskill in the art would readily be able to select suitable colorings orflavorings without undue experimentation.

[0047] The first or second fluid material may optionally contain one ormore inclusions. Any type of inclusion can be used including, but notlimited to, cereals and grains, similar to breakfast cereal but smallerin size, including oats, puffed rice, and puffed wheat; nuts that areeither whole, chopped, or ground; pieces of fruit; jelly pieces; piecesof wafers, cookies, or biscuits; candy pieces such as morsels ofbutterscotch, chocolate, hard candy, and gummies; or mixtures thereof.Typically, the pieces have dimensions that are from about 0.02 inches to0.250 inches, preferably about 0.4 inches to 0.175 inches, morepreferably from about 0.06 ({fraction (1/16)}) inch to 0.125 (⅛ ) inch.The inclusions may be combined with the first or second fluid materials,or both, either before or after it is extruded or molded. In anotherembodiment, the strip may be extruded directly onto inclusions that arelayered on a belt or the inclusions may be sprinkled on top of the stripafter it is extruded. In another embodiment, the first and second fluidmaterials are deposited sequentially from separate nozzles into a mold.Alternatively, a coextrusion nozzle is used to codeposit the at leastfirst and second fluid materials into a mold. The first fluid materialor the second fluid material, or both, may also include one or morecolorings or flavorings in any of these embodiments. Also, inclusionsmay be present in either fluid material, or both, in any of theseembodiments.

[0048] The laminated structure may be prepared by successively layeringthe strip on top of itself. The strip may be layered on top of itself,for example, by the method disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.6,183,799, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein byreference hereto. Alternatively, the laminated structure can be preparedby aligning a plurality of coaxial dies parallel to each other andperpendicular to the movement of a conveyor belt and extruding the firstand second fluid materials through each coaxial die onto the conveyorbelt so that the extruded mass laminates on itself. In this embodimentof forming the laminated structure it is possible to form a laminatedstructure that is distorted and does not have a regular shape andprovides a novel appearance. Preferably, the plurality of coaxial diescomprises from about 2 to 7 coaxial dies and more preferably from about3 to 5 coaxial dies.

[0049] The thickness of the strips can be varied by varying the distancebetween the coaxial die assembly and the conveyor belt and potentiallyby oscillating the die. The thickness of the strips may be from about{fraction (1/100)} inch to ⅛ inch. Preferably, the thickness of thestrips is from about {fraction (1/50)} inch to {fraction (1/10)} inch.In one preferred embodiment, the thickness of the strips is about{fraction (1/20)} inch to {fraction (1/10)} inch. In addition, thethickness of the resulting stack (i.e., the number of layers ofcenter-filled strips) can also be varied. The number of strips in thestack may vary from about 2 strips to 500 strips. Preferably the numberof strips in the stack varies from about 10 strips to 300 strips, and inone preferred embodiment, from about 20 strips to 100 strips. Asexplained herein, each strip comprises three layers, i.e., at least onefirst fluid material encased in a layer of a second fluid material. Thethickness of the stack may vary from about {fraction (1/100)} inch to 4inches. Preferably the thickness of the stack is from about 0.375 inchesto 1 inch. The texture of the laminated structure is determined, inpart, by the number of layers and the thickness of the layers.

[0050] When extruding a first fluid material encased in a second fluidmaterial wherein neither of the fluid materials is a liquid or plasticcandy mass the first and second fluid materials may be at the sametemperature or a different temperatures. For example, if the first fluidmaterial is a sugar based confectionery paste and the second fluidmaterial is a compound coating the first fluid material may be coolerthan the second fluid material so that the first fluid material coolsthe second fluid material so that the second fluid material sets andassures the integrity of the laminated structure. The temperaturedifference between the first fluid material and the second fluidmaterial is product specific and can vary over a wide range depending onthe characteristics of the first fluid material and the second fluidmaterial. The temperature difference can be in excess of 220 EF.Typically, the temperature difference is less than about 50 EF. Forexample, if a sugar based paste and a compound coating are laminated thesugar based paste is typically at a temperature of about 55° F. to 60 EFand the compound coating is at a temperature of about 95° F. to 100 EF.A higher temperature for one of the fluid materials may be needed sothat the material can be extruded. If the temperature difference is toolarge, however, the materials may mix or run together (this can happenfor example when the first and second fluid materials are a chocolateand a nut paste) or there may be a decrease in viscosity that causesthinner layers to be formed. One of ordinary skill in the art will beable to readily determine the temperature of the first and second fluidmaterials without undue experimentation.

[0051] The second fluid material may solidify at a temperature of lessthan about 30 EC. The first and second fluid materials may each be a fatbased confectionery coating or a sugar based confectionery paste, orboth. In one embodiment, the second fluid material is a fat basedconfectionery coating. The second fluid material may include chocolate,for example. The first fluid material may include jelly, nougat,fondant, nut paste, chocolate paste, fat cream, caramel, fudge, flourbased paste, cookie dough, marshmallow, a liquid, or a combinationthereof.

[0052] In one preferred embodiment, the first and second fluidmaterials, along with any other coloring agents, inclusions, or thelike, are coextruded into a mold, preferably into a plurality of molds.This depositing can be either sequential or concurrent, but it ispreferably concurrent in a plurality of molds. The molds can simplifyprocessing, such as for low viscosity first fluid materials, byinhibiting or avoiding the flow of laminate materials away from thecandy product. Thus, the molds can help the laminated candy productretain a suitable shape until the interleaved first and second fluidmaterials can be encapsulated or surrounded by the second fluid materialor edible coating. This embodiment permits the first fluid material tohave a low viscosity.

[0053] In one embodiment, the viscosity of the first fluid material isfairly low, as determined by Brix content (solids content) or moisturecontent. This low viscosity can be present in the first fluid materialeven after the product is sufficiently cooled and solidified to ambientconditions. The low viscosity can be measured in terms of moisturecontent, where the first fluid material can have a moisture content ofabout 5 to 12 weight percent moisture, preferably about 7 to 10 weightpercent moisture. In one such preferred embodiment, the moisture contentis from about 8 to 10 weight percent. For example, soft caramels havemoisture contents that are typically greater than about 7 weightpercent. Other particularly suitable soft materials having high moisturecontent and low viscosity include certain fondants, creams, ganaches,and even ice cream. In another embodiment, the viscosity can be measuredin terms of solids content, or Brix. Thus, the first fluid material canhave a Brix content of about 60 to 88 percent, preferably about 60 to 83percent. In one preferred embodiment, the Brix content of the firstfluid material is about 70 to 82 percent, while in another preferredembodiment the Brix content is about 75 to 80 percent. An exemplaryfirst fluid material would include a soft jelly having a Brix content ofabout 76 to 78 percent.

[0054] The mold inhibits or avoids flow and spillage problems that canarise when conducting the coextruding embodiment described herein. Theresulting laminated candy product has the low viscosity first fluidmaterial at least substantially completely contained within the secondfluid material or the coating. The molded, laminated product can be ofany suitable size.

[0055] One preferred laminated, edible product has a length of about 5cm to 30 cm, preferably about 10 cm to 20 cm, and more preferably about12 cm to 15 cm; a height of about 0.5 cm to 1.5 cm, and preferably about0.75 cm to 1.25 cm; and a width that is about 1 cm to 6 cm, preferablyabout 2 cm to 4 cm, and more preferably 2.5 cm to 3.5 cm. An exemplaryproduct dimension is one having a 13 cm length, a 3 cm base widthtapered to a 2.5 cm top width, and a 1 cm height. Another preferredlaminated edible product includes a snack cup, or a plurality of snackcups releasably attached to each other, e.g., in a six-pack.Alternatively, the laminated edible product can be in the form of othertypes of single serving food products. In one preferred embodiment, thelaminated, edible product is packaged in a transparent container tofacilitate the consumer view of the visual appeal present in laminated,edible products prepared according to the invention.

[0056] In this embodiment, the laminate preferably has 5 to 9 layers andcan include softer, less viscous materials when using molding than withthe basic co-extrusion embodiment. Molding can minimize or preferablyavoid the need to cut candy pieces, since the molds can be shaped to adesired size. The mold embodiment tends to help the candy retain itsfreshness because the inner materials, i.e., the first and second fluidmaterials, are encapsulated within the laminated candy. The use of firstfluid materials having a lower viscosity, e.g., a paste, typically willnot flow out of the bar because the mold inhibits or prevents such flowproblems that can occur when the co-extrusion bars are chopped.

[0057] According to the invention, the at least one first fluid materialcan be a mixture of two or more first fluid materials. In anotherembodiment the two or more first fluid materials are not extruded as amixture but are extruded so that each of the first fluid materials arelayered on top of the other first fluid material(s) to form amulti-layered strip of first fluid materials encased in the second fluidmaterial. In yet another embodiment of the invention the at least onefirst fluid material is more than one fluid material that is extruded toform a single layer of first fluid materials encased in the second fluidmaterial and wherein each first fluid material is adjacent to anotherfirst fluid material. Based on the disclosure herein, one of ordinaryskill in the art will be able to readily modify the coaxial die assemblyso as to produce multi-layered first fluid materials or to produce asingle layer of first fluid materials wherein first fluid materials areadjacent to each other.

[0058] The novel laminated structures prepared by the process of theinvention have a unique appearance. For example, each layer of thelaminated structure may be a different color. For example, the laminatedstructure might comprise a mint fondant and a dark chocolate to providea “zebra stripe” appearance. Moreover, since the laminated structurescomprise materials that previously could not be laminated, the laminatedstructures have a unique texture and mouthfeel. The laminate of thepresent invention typically has first and second materials havingdifferent textures. For example, the second fluid material is relativelyharder and the first fluid material is relatively softer.

[0059] The resulting laminated structure may be further enrobed orcovered with a coating. The coating may be, for example, a chocolate, afudge, and the like. In addition, the coating may be further coveredwith one or more toppings. Representative toppings include, but are notlimited to sprinkles, crushed nuts, any of the inclusions listed above,or a combination thereof. The term “enrobing” as used herein means thatthe laminated structure is completely surrounded by the coating. Forexample, the laminated candy mass may be enrobed by dipping thelaminated structure in a liquified coating. The term “covered” as usedherein means that the laminated structure is covered by the coating. Forexample, the laminated candy mass may be covered by pouring a liquifiedcoating over the laminated structure.

[0060] The term “about” as used herein should generally be understood torefer to both numbers in a range of numerals. Moreover, all numericalranges herein should be understood to include each whole integer withinthe range.

EXAMPLES

[0061] The invention is further defined by reference to the followingexamples describing in detail the products of the present invention. Theexamples are representative, and should not be construed to limit thescope of the invention in any way.

Example 1

[0062] Laminated Chocolate and Caramel Candy Bar

[0063] A laminated chocolate and caramel candy can be prepared bycoextruding a chocolate at a temperature of about 95 EF and a caramel ata temperature of about 110 E F. The resulting laminated structure is runthrough bar slitters to make centers and the resulting centers can beenrobed in chocolate to make a final bar.

[0064] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoingDetailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerousrearrangements and modifications of parts and elements without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. It will be understood that thechemical and/or mechanical details of every design may be slightlydifferent or modified by one of ordinary skill in the art withoutdeparting from the teachings of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of producing a laminated edible productcomprising: depositing in each of a plurality of molds a first pluralityof layers of at least one first fluid material interleaved between asecond plurality of layers of a second fluid material that flows at onetemperature but solidifies at a lower temperature; and coating a portionof the first and second plurality of layers in each mold with an ediblematerial to form the laminated edible product, wherein neither the firstfluid material nor the second fluid material is a hard candy mass. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first fluid materialand the second fluid material has a moisture content of greater thanabout 7 percent by weight.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ediblematerial comprises the second fluid material.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the second fluid material comprises fat-based confectionerymaterial, sugar based confectionery paste, or both.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the second fluid material comprises chocolate, acompound coating, or both.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ediblematerial comprises at least one chocolate that completely surrounds thefirst fluid material.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fluidmaterial comprises jelly.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstand second plurality of layers are disposed at an angle relative to eachother.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second fluid materialsolidifies at a temperature of about 30° C.
 10. A laminated edibleproduct according to claim 1, wherein the product will not stick to awrapper under ambient conditions.
 11. A laminated edible productcomprising: a plurality of strips layered upon each other, wherein eachstrip comprises: at least one first fluid material comprising a stickyor flowable mass having a moisture content of at least about 7 weightpercent; and at least two layers of a second, different fluid materialwhich completely surrounds and encases the first fluid material, whereinthe first fluid material is interleaved between the at least two layersof the second fluid, which second fluid flows at one temperature butsolidifies at a lower temperature, wherein neither the first fluidmaterial nor the second fluid material is a hard candy mass.
 12. Thelaminated edible product of claim 11, wherein the sticky or flowablemass comprises at least one of jelly, caramel, fondant, paste, liquid,or a combination thereof.
 13. The laminated edible product of claim 11,wherein the sticky or flowable mass comprises a pectin-based jelly. 14.The laminated edible product of claim 11, wherein at least one of thefirst or second fluid materials comprises one or more inclusions. 15.The laminated edible product of claim 14, wherein the inclusionscomprise cereals, grains, nuts, fruit pieces, jelly pieces, wafer,cookie, biscuit, candy, or combinations thereof.
 16. The laminatededible product of claim 15, wherein the inclusions have a size of about0.02 inches to 0.25 inches.
 17. The laminated edible product of claim11, wherein the strips have a thickness of about {fraction (1/100)} inchto ⅛ inch.
 18. The laminated edible product of claim 11, wherein about 2to 500 strips are superimposed to form the product and the moisturecontent is greater than about 8 weight percent.
 19. The laminated edibleproduct of claim 11, wherein the layer of superimposed strips has athickness of about 0.01 to 4 inches.
 20. A laminated edible productcomprising: a plurality of strips layered upon each other, wherein eachstrip comprises: at least one first fluid material comprising a stickyor flowable mass having a Brix content of less than about 83 percent;and at least two layers of a second, different fluid material whichcompletely surrounds and encases the first fluid material, wherein thefirst fluid material is interleaved between the at least two layers ofthe second fluid, which second fluid flows at one temperature butsolidifies at a lower temperature, wherein neither the first fluidmaterial nor the second fluid material is a hard candy mass.
 21. Theproduct of claim 20, wherein the Brix content is less than about 78percent.